Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2007 March 22

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March 22

Multistory carpark

Hi. Does anyone know the approximate cost of building a multistory carpark or where one could look for such information? I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to find but I don't know where to start. Thanks Mix Lord 00:46, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

According to this, "Surface parking [in Texas] costs about $2,000 per space to build, while a space in a parking garage costs from $12,000 to $14,000 to build." Depending on how many parking spaces the multilevel would have, it could end up costing anywhere from $600,000 (at fifty parking spaces total with the low estimate) to $280,000,000 (at 20,000 parking spaces with the high estimate). See also Wikipedia's article about it, Multi-storey car park. V-Man - ^T/_C 01:00, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Okay thanks. Where in the World would have 20000 parking spaces? Anyway Thanks again Mix Lord 03:17, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

According to this, Boston's Logan International Airport has about that many spaces, and Logan isn't a particularly big airport.

Atlant 11:29, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

A college campus that has all of its parking crammed into tone convenient super-multi-level parking lot. I put up the first high number that I came across in my search for large numbers of parking spaces in one place. *sigh* I figured it was rather arbitrary, but I wanted to give kind of a ceiling for the range. ^_^ V-Man 03:21, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Crash of the Hindenburg

Was it 7:25ish a.m. or p.m.? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.222.102.190 (talk) 00:56, 22 March 2007 (UTC).

This page and this page agree that it was p.m.; I'll edit LZ 129 Hindenburg to say so. --Anonymous, March 22, 2007, 01:11 (UTC).

Mass market brands marketed as high-end overseas

I noticed many mass market products in their home countries are marketed as high-end products overseas. For example, Fosters Beer from Australia and Corona Beer from Mexico are marketed as high-end beers in the United States. But in their home countries, they are mass market, low-end products. The same goes for Gevalia coffee from Sweden. Its a mass market supermarket brand in Europe, but marketed as ultra-premium mail order only in United States. Is there a list of products that are re-targeted at higher-end markets overseas? --24.249.108.133 01:01, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

I think that's quite common. Mercedes-Benz is another example, known for making a full range of motor vehicles in Germany, but only known for their luxury cars in the US. Conversely, many common US brands, like fast foods and cigarettes, have a certain luxury cachet in many third world nations which is totally absent within the US. StuRat 02:32, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Yeah I'm not sure I agree with the use of the term "high end" in this case, I think there is a difference between "high-end" and what I'd refer to as boutique or import, yes they both cost more but they don't mean the same thing. Vespine 02:51, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Incidentally, I can think of two reasons for this trend:

1) Items imported from other countries tend to be more expensive, due to transportation costs and import taxes. This makes it impossible to compete with domestic manufacturers on price, so they must compete in other ways, like luxury.

2) Items imported from other countries tend to be viewed as exotic, especially when first imported or when only available in small quantities. This makes them seem more valuable than in their home country.

StuRat 16:25, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Any item that has a 'international market' that is 'premium' will almost definitely be mass-produced. Most luxury vehicles are mass-produced, as a most luxury brands of electronics (even things like Meridian). The size of production may be smaller, or the time taken to build may increase (as will the quality of materials), but to be a 'recogniseable' brand in many countries and not be mass-produced would be extremely difficult I suspect. ny156uk 18:13, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Mate (beverage)

Does anyone here drink Mate (beverage)?

I'm needing some help in preparing it. Basically, i bought a packet of this stuff back with me from an oversea trip lately, and i've been wanting to try it.

The article (and all the people i've asked) tell me that i'm supposed to fill the mate gourd 2/3 of the way with the mate leaves. But...it seems to be an awful lot of leaves. At least, when i compare it to say, tea (where it's about one tablespoon of tea leaves for a cup) or coffee (where it's only one teaspoon of coffee for a cup of coffee). If i fill up the gourd 2/3 with leaves, then there's not going to be all that much room for the water.

Is there anyone here who drinks Mate and can tell me from experience whether that's a sensible amount of leaves to put in? Also, how many times can i refill the water before the leaves loss taste and i have to replace them?

The other thing is, i bought a proper mate gourd as well. The gourd feels really light and thin, i'm wondering how long do they really last? The gourd is a really nice sovernier and i don't want to wreck it. Does drinking the mate in a proper gourd really make much of a difference? --`/aksha 02:00, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Yes, it'll take a (relatively) lot of leaves to make the drink, as the leaves are sometimes weak. If you have a particularly weak brand, I could see why you'd need so much to get the correct amount of minerals and flavor into the water. If you are still concerned about the amount of leaves to water, try it with less and compare; the stronger the mate is, the more enjoyable.

In my experience, a proper brew completely leaches the leaves, giving one use per serving; of course, this was using tea-bags, so strained leaves may be different in numbers of times they can be used.

I've not had mate from a gourd, but I'm sure it enhances the experience in some way that I am yet unaware of. ;-) My friend got a nice one and a cheap one, for display and use, respectively. That's what I'd recommend. V-Man - ^T/_C 03:48, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Ah, mate, "our" (as in, Uruguay's and Argentina's) beverage :-) You can always ask for more exact instructions at Wikipedia:WikiProject Argentina or Wikipedia:WikiProject Uruguay. Some comments (besides the ones already made):

1. Yes, you need to fill the gourd with 2/3 or 4/5 (make it 2/3 at the beginning until you get used to).
2. General instructions: put that amount in the mate (check the illustrations, Image:Mate 03 calabaza.jpg and Image:Mate-gourds.jpg), then cover the opening with a hand, and turn the mate to a side, shaking it slightly. Then put it straight again, and uncover the opening. The leaves will have been pulled to a side, leaving a small depression on the other side, that is where you put the straw or bombilla. You also pour water in that depression. As you drink it, the depression will disappear; don't worry, the important thing is that, once you start drinking it, not to shake it too much, otherwise the straw may get stuck.
3. Note that, when preparing the mate, the first time you need to pour water and wait until the leaves have sucked it all. In other words, the first mate is not drink by you, but instead by the "leaves" so that they get wet. Then you pour water again, and drink from it. In some regions (like Paraguay and the north of Argentina), it is said the first mate is drunk by Saint Thomas.
4. Usually, you can drink a liter of water without having to change the leaves. Never pour too much water in the mate (that is, you need to, at all times, be able to see the leaves at the top of it). If you pour too much water, the mate becomes "lavado" (washed), which is when you don't give enough ti me to the water to embed the leaves flavor.
5. You can use a small spoon of sugar (usually, "sweet mate"): you pour it just before pouring water. Since a small amount of sugar does not dissolve in water, as time passes you may have to use even less sugar. Also, you may have to change the leaves faster (say, drink 3/4 of a liter and have to change them).
6. Mate gourds are usually made of very light materials (wood usually). They last a lot. Consider that a guard can stay for years (say, I have seen my mother drink from the same gourd for already over 15 years). Some people say that, everytime you are going to use a new gourd, you need to "cure" it. This is basically preparing a mate, pouring hot water, and leaving the content in the mate for an hour or so. This is so that the guard can embed the "mate" taste, and dispel any artificial taste it may have. Sometimes you need to cure it twice (that is, after an hour passed, throw the content away, add new yerba, and pour water again).
7. Also, once you decide to change the leaves, you usually throw away as much as possible, but don't wash it. This is because most times you drink with friends while playing cards or talking, and since the leaves will get wet anyways, there is no need to wash the gourd.
8. Finally, if you have prepared a mate, but you notice there are not enough leaves, you can pour more at the top (the first times you either pour too much or too little, so need to adjust).
9. Hot water! Be careful with your tongue, the first times it may hurt until you get used to that. You can eat some bread while slurping. While you are right in saying "Too much leaves, not enough water", remember that you are usually drinking really hot water (almost boiling). Experienced ones can drink it all in one slurp, but most times you will want to do it in five or six sucks.

Well, those are some suggestions. I drink mate only with friends at work, but it is also good when you don't want to have dinner. Again, I suggest to get in contact with either WikiProject, as surely one or more are expert in this art :-) Cheers! -- ReyBrujo 04:26, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Oh, about the souvenir, you can also drink mate from a glass, but since the glass can't "absorb" the leaves flavor, it dulls the experience. Of course, in order to really distinguish between a glass and a proper gourd, you will have to drink for years, so you could try using a glass with a similar capability as your gourd. Be careful when pouring water, though. -- ReyBrujo 04:29, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

I didn't really want to ask on the WikiProjects because Project talk pages are generally for discussing wikipedia-related issues. While this...is just so i can get advice on how to drink my tea =P. I figured the reference desks would be a more casual place to ask.

Thanks for the very long reply. Well, i tired it, and i guess it worked. I'm not sure i did the shaking thing right, but it seems to have turned out fine. It tastes quite good, and our wikipedia article on mate says it's caffinated, which is a plus =). I think i'll take your advice on just using a glass then. I don't really want to accidentally wreck the gourd, the thing feels really quite fragile. --`/aksha 04:56, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

One last question - i got the gourd dirty already (i tried making the mate in it once). Do you have any advice on how to clean it? Would just rinsing it out and leaving it to dry be okay? I think i'll leave the gourd on my bookshelf and drink from a glass, but i don't want the gourd to....i dunno, go mouldy or something, since it's made from real plant material and all. --`/aksha 05:16, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Just wash it as if you were washing a glass. Use the fingers if necessary, then either leave it down or dry it with some rugs. However, if you have never poured water on it (in example, you just poured leaves but then put them back in the recipient), you can leave it that way, or just clear it with some rugs. Gourds, even decorative ones, should not get damaged that easily, otherwise they would come with a fake opening to prevent accidental usage. -- ReyBrujo 02:32, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

Publishing

If I were to study publishing, music, books or any other form, what course, in the UK would I have to take, preferably through the OU, and what are the employment oppertunities in this field like? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.144.161.223 (talk) 10:10, 22 March 2007 (UTC).

• Some study that explains how businesses work. There's no specific school or study for book- or music publishing, you'd have to find out how they work from experience. Reading up on blogs by agents and editors like Miss Snark and Evil Editor or Writer Beware (Google them) is a good start to get familiar with the book business. - Mgm|^(talk) 10:40, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

So Bob writes a book and gives it to me and asks me to get 5 copies of it into every Waterstones on every High street in the UK. What you are saying it that there is no University or colege that can teach me how to get this done and get a diploma/degree at the end of it? Second opinion? 81.144.161.223 11:16, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

If Bob writes a book and tells a publisher, agent or editor what to do, he obviously is clueless about the publishing industry. You can't force a store to stock copies if they don't want to. And Bob can't force you to publish the book if it happens to be a very bad one. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:25, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

• We have a Waterstones at Westwood cross Shopping Centre, which technically isn't a high street, does it still get some of the books :] HS7 21:38, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

As the Crow flies... 2

I had posted this above, but I think it needs its own question. Do crows actually fly in straight lines when travelling from place to place? Capuchin 12:51, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

We actually have articles on almost everything! As the crow flies --Zeizmic 13:32, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

This may not be of much help, but when pilots navigate between two locations, they usually don't fly in a straight line - in fact pilots are taught that on a sphere, the shortest distance between two points is along a Great Circle that cuts both cities. This translates to, instead of flying in a straight line, they actually seem to curve quite a bit. Rfwoolf 13:38, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Of course, that only holds with regards to things like compasses. A great circle route is the closest thing to a straight line on the surface of a sphere: pick any direction and go straight and you're moving along a great circle route. Lines of latitude are themselves additionally curved paths that we instead consider "straight" for the sake of simplicity. — Lomn 15:37, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Photography

To Whom It May Concern;

I was wondering why when a photograph is taken of a person several times say in a day or the same week,why does the image sometimes not look like that person. It may be just a subtle difference, but even so it still doesn't look the same. Is this an optical illusion to the person looking or does the camera pick up different nuances? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.219.35.246 (talk) 14:28, 22 March 2007 (UTC).

Any person looks quite a bit different from different angles, in different light, with different clothes or hats or makeup on, etc. This effect is magnified in a photo which only captures a single view, whereas film shows many views and they are likely to look familiar in at least some of the views. StuRat 16:18, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Recall also that our idea of what someone looks like is not just an optical image — our perception of people is colored by psychological concerns as well, and sometimes photos can not be in accord with that. --140.247.248.161 20:59, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

The "'structure-from-motion" explanation given by StuRat is one reason why many faces are more easily recognized on film, as psychological tests seem to demonstrate. In addition to the invariant structure of their features, human faces also have their own idiosyncratic movements, positions, and facial gestures. Alice J. O'Toole from the University of Texas at Dallas lists some projects and their findings under Human Face Perception and Recognition ---Sluzzelin talk 21:07, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Hello again

In an earlier question, I asked if power corrupts. Now I ask this; can somebody tell me of A) A common, published magazine article or issue that tells about corruption of power (e.g. a TIME article on Richard Nixon) B) A common, publishedbook that discusses corruption of power. Thank you, 209.81.119.178 14:43, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

There are source in the Political corruption article that can help. In fact there is a whole section on "further reading". Jon513 19:45, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Is it possible to have a list of weeklies, fortnightlies and monthlies which discuss the world issues such as peace, weapons,poverty,globalization etc.

59.184.8.174 15:37, 22 March 2007 (UTC)daniel.mazgaonkar——

Do you mean news magazines like Time and Newsweek ? StuRat 16:08, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

US translation: "fortnightlies" are mags that come out every two weeks, or "biweekly". StuRat 16:12, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

There would be a bit of subjectiveness to that list. Playboy and Penthouse also carry articles about world events, wars, etc. but aren't generally thought of as being "world issues" magazines. Category:Magazines, Category:News magazines, and Category:Business magazines may help you out. Dismas|^(talk) 16:42, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

In library parlance, we refer to this category of things as periodicals. But, as Dismas alludes to, any list of periodicals on such a broad topic would be overwhelmingly huge, and would include everything from news periodicals to academic journals to more "countercultural" mags such as the Utne Reader -- much of which would surely NOT be what you're actually looking for. My advice is to call your local library or college, ask someone there to help you define your particular needs a bit more, and aim for a good list of ten to twenty resources. Good luck! Jfarber 17:11, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

The Economist is a wonderful weekly 'newspaper' (it's actually a magazine but they call it a newspaper), Newsweek is popular. These cover all aspects of world-affairs and often have quarterly specials on certain things. Other magazines like The New Statesman and The Spectator are excellent UK publications. You could always look at our Category:Weekly_Magazines section and jump-about the categories finding no end of brilliant magazines (and some rubbish ones too!) ny156uk 18:09, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

The problem is bias. Do you want it? If so, what type of bias? Running the gamut from right to left (in honour of my friend who was just visiting me from Israel), Jane's Defence Weekly, The Christian Science Monitor, and Utne Reader are some examples. Anchoress 19:57, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Certainly some sources are more or less biased than others, but I would take exception at the implication it is possible to select such thing as an unbiased resource (and putting the Christian Science Monitor as a midpoint on the bias spectrum only reinforces that, doesn't it!). The querent is looking for a list; we can but encourage them to select, from that list, a set of magazines which, taken together, provide a suitable bias spectrum. Jfarber 21:00, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Well take exception to it if you like, but I didn't imply (or say) it. I just asked what type of bias they were looking for. And as for CSM, in journalism circles CSM is very highly-thought-of for its unbiased, complete, accurate reporting, so I think it isn't inappropriate to put it in between the other two. Anchoress 21:07, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

You also asked "Do you want it (bias)?" I took "no thanks" as a possible answer, with the resultant implications. As for the Christian Science Monitor, though I agree it has a well-deserved reputation globally and in my own library (and rightfully so, IMHO), at least one (also biased) source accuses it of taking sides on the Palestine/Israel question, which is not what I would consider unbiased. The question, in other words, is not always just whether a periodical has biases or not, or even which way it tends to lean, but on what issues does its bias manifest, and how. In this case, since we're talking world issues and peace, I felt this particular bias was relevant, however biased the accusers themselves might be. Jfarber 23:44, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

But now you're saying something different. First you say that you're taking exception to the implication that there can be no bias, then you say that you assume that wanting no bias was an unspoken response to my question. Which are you objecting to? Anchoress 00:49, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

I agree that bias can be an important factor, and I didn't read Anchoress's question as rhetorical. I, for one, want the plurality of bias, and have no problem with POV in journalism. Of the print media in the country where I live, my favorite daily newspaper, for instance, has a classical liberal stance. For weekly journals, I read one that could be seen as libertarian with neo-con tendencies, and another one that is too left-wing for the mainstream social democrats. I choose to read these papers because of their journalistic quality, and scope, because they manage to surprise me, and because I like being irritated. I'd always recommend looking at what's out there, and reading opinions that are different from your own. ---Sluzzelin talk 01:27, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

I agree, Sluzzelin; the plurality of bias is what I want, as well, and I practice similar media-gathering strategies; as such, I was glad to see the original querent asking for a list, and tried hard not to offer one myself. My only objection was to Anchoress' question (Do you want bias?), and the implication I read in this question that choosing a source is therefore first a choice between an unbiased and a biased one, and then -- from there -- one can move on to pick one's bias. But I appreciate the clairification, Sluzzelin; had I thought more about it, I, too, would have made more of the fact that I don't think choosing which bias you want is ideal, either. Guess I just never got past the pre-condition.

As such, Anchoress, my primary objection has not changed; it was and remains that your first question implies that if one does not want bias, one can opt out. The fact that Sluzzerin and I do in fact want bias does not make me more comfortable with the fact that others might choose "no", and be allowed to continue believing that such a thing is attainable, or desirable; I responded only because, had I been the querent, I fear I would have taken your question as allowing such possibility. Please take no offense at my oversensitivity to this, by the way; my daylife teaching middle school requires that I think ahead at all times re: what misinterpretations might follow from anyone's language, and to address even the most unusual of possible interpretations before they can get away from us and sink into the growing minds of others. note to ref desk volunteers: this appears to be drifting into a question which I wonder might belong better on the talk page -- to wit, to what extent does minor disagreement among ref desk volunteers about the accuracy of and potential effects of an answer belong within that answer? I can see a strong argument to keep such discourse here, as it affects and can gather consensus which would still help the original questioner and address the question, but it seems like this level of discussion could also make it difficult to see the answer in the discussion...Jfarber 01:49, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

I'd say if you called it good right where you are, it would keep from turning into a meta-discussion and everything would be fine. V-Man - ^T/_C 02:01, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

President

Is it legal to hit the president with a crowbar? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 216.253.128.27 (talk) 17:03, 22 March 2007 (UTC).

No--ChesterMarcol 17:03, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

The president of what? In most cultures, it is illegal to hit anyone with anything, but there are surely a few essentially lawless cultures and communities out there where, technically, this would not be an illegal act (though it would still be a very, very, very bad idea). Jfarber 17:13, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

It was legal to kill the president of the USA, until after one of them (I think it was JFK) was killed, then they made it illegal and arrested the guy that shot him :) HS7 20:07, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Is that supposed to be a joke? Because there isn't really a punchline. --140.247.248.161 20:18, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Want a punchline? See my answer in the next section (same poster). Clarityfiend 21:16, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Uhhh, what if you wear a mask? =S 惑乱 分からん * \)/ (\ (< \) (2 /) /)/ * 20:27, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

You mean, what if you want to wear a mask instead of hitting the president with a crowbar? Yeah, that's perfectly legal. Jfarber 01:53, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

Yes I was thinking of referring to the wearing of a mask, but I thought it inappropriate to mention it at the time! Its obviously not! In fact you can do anything if youre weraring a mask. You can even edit WP behind a mask -- just like this one!! 8-)) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.109.8.166 (talk • contribs)

A more interesting question would have been "is it legal to say that you want to hit the president with a crowbar?", a topic covered thoughtfully and hilariously over here. --TotoBaggins 06:01, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

I'm sure there was a question on here a few days ago where it was apparently illigal to wear a mask in one of the states :) HS7 14:36, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

my dog

my dog is dying what should i do? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 216.253.128.27 (talk) 17:17, 22 March 2007 (UTC).

I am so sorry. Here is one possible resource for coping with the loss (or impending loss) of a beloved pet that seems to cover the bases. In addition, I would also recommend the following standard outlets and recommendations given to almost anyone who is grieving, or who is starting to grieve: Allow yourself to be sad, and mourn. Collect and centralize the objects and artifcats of his/her life, and make a memory box or scrapbook. Seek out others who care for you for support and solace in this time of loss. Consider joining a bereavement group, where shared pain can lead to lessened pain. Know that you are not alone. And be glad for the time you and your dog had together. Jfarber 17:46, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

You could take it to a veterinarian who can ease its pain by either treatment or euthanasia. Or you could do nothing, since death is an inevitability. Rockpocket 17:48, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

This anon is trolling. See their previous edit. Dismas|^(talk) 17:49, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Woops! Well, hopefully someone will find that info useful anyway. Jfarber 17:58, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Well, I did. More than useful: meaningful. -- Deborahjay 21:21, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

Don't hit the president with a crowbar? (We might end up with that Dick...Cheney.) Clarityfiend 19:55, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Try to ascertain the cause of death. Then see what you can do. Rfwoolf 10:38, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

School sports in the UK: temperature

Is there a minimum temperature and weather conditions requirement on UK schools organising outdoor sports afternoons?--Rambutan (talk) 18:28, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

It depends on the school, with primary schools (for young children) cancelling everything if it rains, trough to schools like the one I went to, which decided not to cancel sports events even in snow :( HS7 20:04, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

I definitely had to play Rugby in the snow...I'm told it builds character or something. (Don't believe a word of it!) SteveBaker 23:22, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

I always used to be puzzled by the reasoning that, if it was too cold and wet (raining, snowing, etc) for us to play netball or hockey outside, we should instead go for a cross-country run. Surely that will be just as cold and wet? Why couldn't we just play benchball in the lovely warm hall? I don't think we were ever allowed to have PE inside at secondary school, due to weather, until the PE teachers lost interest in us in year 10 (since we weren't doing GCSE PE). Skittle 16:09, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

? civil war Union sword

Hello, I have a brass sword with an eagle and other fancy marking on the handle. Just below the grip handle is the name, J.H. Wilson, Philadelphia, Pa. I am trying to find out more about the sword. I have come to your website and found out info. about J.H. Wilson, if it is the same person, His date of birth, death and everything in between from your article. He was a general in the Civil War. Can you tell me a site I could go to to find out more about the sword? I have been on other search engines and am drawing a blank re: picures or explanation about the swords of this period. Thank you.64.111.153.201 19:31, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

There are a bunch of books listed as sources for the article James H. Wilson. You could go the the library and look them up. I doubt you will find any information about the sword though. Perhaps a professional appraiser can help. Jon513 19:42, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Did you try browsing this site? Maybe a comparison with the images on this page would help?—eric 23:20, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

I'd say that sword would be worth a fair sum (although not as much as if it had been owned by a more famous general, like Lee or Grant). You might want to contact an auction house, like Christie's, to get an auction estimate. Another option, if you're in the US, is to take it to the Antiques Roadshow when they are in town. StuRat 02:36, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

The Antiques Roadshow can also be used if you're in Britain (where it originated), Canada, the Netherlands or Sweden, but I guess from the artifact it's more likely you're in the US. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 137.138.46.155 (talk) 16:16, 23 March 2007 (UTC).

I would say that it all depends on if it is real or not. There is alot of reproduction/fake civil war memorabilia out there.--ChesterMarcol 16:20, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

Italy and azure

Given that most national teans wear a colour drawn from thier nations flag, ie England white, Soctland Blue. Why do all italian teams wear azure? what is the history behind this choice of colour?88.107.148.147 20:18, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

From Italy national football team#_note-0

Light blue was the color of the royal house of the Kingdom of Italy. 
In its first two matches, the Italian national team wore white shirts with shorts from 
the club of each player; the azure shirts were introduced in the third match. 

惑乱 分からん * \)/ (\ (< \) (2 /) /)/ * 20:32, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

It may just be coincidence that England and Scotland wear those colors, notice it would still be true if you swapped them around? I think it's just that blue and white are common "flag" colors.. Australia has green and yellow uniforms, neither of which appear on the flag either. Vespine 21:46, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Not that it matters as regards the question, but notice that while it would remain true for Scotland, it wouldn't for England (at least, not with Scotland's home kit). I think you're confusing the Union Flag with St George's Cross. Spiral Wave 23:16, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

The Netherlands, with their red, white, and blue flag (), wear orange kits at their home games. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 22:10, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Thats most likely because the original dutch flag () was orange, in honour of the Prince. Rockpocket 07:38, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

It's probably because the Netherland's royal family is the House of Orange; the team would wear orange whether or not it had been included on a former flag. - Nunh-huh 11:15, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

As a digression, each national football team also has an "away kit" in case they would meet a home team with similar colors. 惑乱 分からん * \)/ (\ (< \) (2 /) /)/ * 14:17, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

Germany wear white, with black shorts, btw. Skarioffszky 20:12, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

Insomnia

Hello all. I remember reading last year about a form of insomnia that was uncurable, and would eventually lead to the victim's death (from sleep deprivation i would think). Also, I *think* it was somehow centred around a certain family in Italy, but again I can't be to sure. I already looked through the Insomnia article, and couldn't find what i was looking for. Many thanks.Cuban Cigar 21:35, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Upon a quick Google search, it sounds like fatal familial insomnia. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 21:38, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

After reading the article: … WOW!! does that ever look like a crazy disease! − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 21:41, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Yes that's exactly the article I was looking for. But there's another thing that bugs me after reading the article. It says in stage 3 of the dissease:

--- "Complete inability to sleep is followed by rapid loss of weight. This lasts about three months." ---

Not to sound stupid, but does this mean that the sufferers survive without any sleep for three months (I was told that people cannot last more than two weeks without any sleep). Many thanks again! Cuban Cigar 22:01, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Sources have noted that rats die when deprived of sleep for two to five weeks, but I cannot find any sources that mention a study on humans.

In Fatal Familial Insomnia, the victim eventually dies from dementia; it is nowhere (in the sources that I can find) clear what exactly causes death in a lack of sleep; however, noting that one person stayed awake for eleven days without dying, it would probably be difficult to stay awake long enough to die from that alone. Your body may shut down, causing you to pass out and sleep unintentionally, for example. Side effects such as the loss of your immune system due to sleep deprivation might cause death, and insomnia-related dementia outside of FFI is possible.

It would be a little difficult finding willing human subjects for such a study, don't you think? Clarityfiend 03:16, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

Depending on how many people like Randy Gardner there are, maybe. ;-) Perhaps they'd see it as a gamble, as if to set out to prove that you couldn't die from not sleeping. On the other hand, perhaps there were certain experiments that we are yet unaware of... V-Man - ^T/_C 03:42, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

I smell...a hit reality TV show! Clarityfiend 05:38, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

And, judging by our edit times, we'd be the stars. ;-) V-Man - ^T/_C 05:49, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

Sub-question

Is there a reliable source somewhere that states that

1. Humans can die from a lack of sleep (as opposed to a side effect of it)
2. How long one would have to go before dying from it?

V-Man - ^T/_C 00:58, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

If you're going to be like that, then you only ever die from the side effect of something. The actual cause of death is lack of oxygen to the brain, that is always the side effect, wether you die from old age, dementia, cancer or a car accident. As to the second question, the articles on insomnia and sleep deprivation do not list any recorded fatalities, that doesn't mean it's impossible, but it does suggest it is rare or unlikely. Vespine 01:20, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

If you're going to look for a single cause of all deaths, it's cessation of brain function. This would most often be from lack of oxygen, but physical destruction of the brain is another possibility. --Anonymous, March 24, 2007, 03:36 (UTC)

Hmm, I see you're right (though it could probably use a source right there). It seems to me that causes of death could be mapped like a tree, with anoxia being the trunk, and having branches for things like heart failure, decapitation, and so forth. Answering this question would be a matter of figuring out exactly what "path of death" one travels when dying from lack of sleep; for example, lack of sleep could cause a lowering of the immune system, which may cause a disease, which in turn causes the heart to stop beating (in a simplified case), thus depriving the brain of oxygen. Is there any sort of system or chart that shows this? That would be interesting. V-Man - ^T/_C 01:42, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

Supposedly there have been experiments in which rats were kept from sleeping and died after a couple of weeks. I would want to know the exact mechanism of death. I have seen learning experiments with rats wherein they were subject to some stressful situation (like do an action to get food or water, but that operant may result in a painful shock) and the stress of the conflict caused internal woes like bleeding ulcers which killed them. I would want to know if the experiments were something like: the rats had implanted electrodes in their brain to monitor brain activity, or they were on a treadmill and had to keep walking 24 hour a day, and a painful shock or loud noise was the punishment for falling asleep. I know that cats who were sleep deprived by being placed on a treadmill and who received a painful shock if they stopped walking long enough to reach the end of the experimental chamber, adopted "catnaps" in which they would run forward, then "fall asleep on their feet" for the couple of seconds it took the treadmill to carry them to the shock point, then repeat the process. Animals can be more fragile than some experimenters assume, and "death due to sleep deprivation" is a more dramatic finding than "death due to internal bleeding," "death from food/water deprivation" or "death from exhaustion." Extremely coercive measures are required to keep a sleep-deprived animal (including humans) from dozing off when sleep deprived long enough. I have had to work "around the clock" numerous times, then do it again without much sleep for as long as 4 days straight and have seen zombiefied behavior (not including stalking the living and eating their brains) in myself and coworkers. After 2 or 3 days of sleep deprivation, a reduced level of consciousness and catnaps would inevitably occur even with brainwave monitoring and painful shocks. I would expect death to more likely occur from these coercive measures or from stress responses to the coercive measures than from the sleep deprivation itself. A person who resolved to simply stay awake for days at a time would likely start to nod off for brief catnaps after a couple of days, and not recall afterward that they were doing it. While working all night writing a term paper, I have found no keystrokes from 3to 4 AM, although my recollection was of no break taken. In wartime, sleep deprived soldiers have fallen asleep in the middle of a battle. Workers may be seen sitting at a desk, have conversations, and remember nothing of the conversations the next day. Of course there are "second wind" effects which kick in at a certain point, so you feel less sleepy after say 18 hours or 24 hours than when the normal bedtime approaches. Edison 14:37, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

Contacts for the Corrs

Hi

Do you have contact details for the Corrs? I want to send them a letter plus a copy of my written lyrics. It would be great if you can help me.

Keith McLoughlin Email: <email removed> —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 83.70.230.98 (talk) 22:52, 22 March 2007 (UTC).

If the information is not available at http://www.corrsonline.com then some one on their message board will most certainly be able to help you. Rockpocket 23:32, 22 March 2007 (UTC)